1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to head sliders for magnetic disks, and more particularly, to a head slider for magnetic disks that prevents dust that comes off of a lubricant layer formed on a surface of a magnetic disk from adhering to an end of a magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A head slider for magnetic disks used in a hard disk apparatus holds a magnetic head such that the magnetic head can perform magnetic recording/reproducing while the magnetic head is aerodynamically lifted closely above a surface of a magnetic disk. The magnetic head is lifted by a lifting force (pressure) created by airflow on the surface of the magnetic disk. The airflow is generated by rotation of the magnetic disk.
A lubricant layer is formed on the surface of the magnetic disk by applying a lubricant thereon. The lubricant layer prevents the disk surface from being scratched by reducing friction that is caused when the head slider contacts the disk surface (surface of the magnetic disk).
When the head slider contacts the surface of the magnetic disk, minute dust particles may come off the lubricant layer (minute dust includes, for example, dust adhering to a surface of the lubricant layer and dust created by peeling off a part of the lubricant layer). The dust that comes off the lubricant layer is blown off by airflow generated by rotation of the magnetic disk. Hence, there is a possibility that the dust may adhere to a surface of the head slider as contamination.
In a conventional head slider for magnetic disks, for example, a front shallow ditch and a pair of front pads are provided on the inflow end of the slider. An outflow pad shallow ditch and a triangle outflow pad surface are provided in the middle of the outflow end of the slider. The outflow pad surface includes two sidewalls crossing at a top that is positioned at the leading edge of the outflow pad surface. The two side walls are each formed at an angle of 5-75 degrees with respect to the center line along the longitudinal direction of the slider (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-266323).
In the head slider for magnetic disks configured as mentioned above, when the slider is lifted with respect to a magnetic disk, there is a possibility that minute dust or the like may adhere to the outflow pad surface of the slider.
The two sidewalls crossing at the top of the outflow pad surface are each formed at angles of 5-75 degrees with respect to the center line. Thus, dust entering the space between a disk-facing surface (a surface facing the magnetic disk) of the slider and the surface of the magnetic disk is discharged toward the downstream from an outflow-side end along the sidewalls of the outflow pad surface that is formed into a triangle-like shape.
However, in the head slider for magnetic disks configured as mentioned above, since the triangle outflow pad surface is provided in the middle of the outflow end of the slider, airflow is dispersed to pass along both sides of the outflow pad surface and passes through the outflow-side end.
Hence, on the surface of the magnetic disk, when minute dust comes off the lubricant layer, there is a possibility that the dust of the lubricant layer is moved by airflow along the disk-facing surface of the slider and adheres to the outflow-side end of the slider.
The head slider for magnetic disks is held at a slant so that the outflow-side end having the magnetic head approaches the magnetic disk at a minute distance. Hence, when viscous dust of the lubricant layer adheres, as contaminant, to the outflow-side end that approaches the magnetic disk, a problem occurs in that the contaminant causes the outflow-side end to stick to the magnetic disk.